Accepting Who You Are
by bellydancer10
Summary: A series of one-shots that focuses on a fem!Harry who is bisexual and how she navigates throughout the years at Hogwarts with her sexuality. The one-shots will focus on some social justice issues for LBGTQ youth, but more so on the social issues of being bi. Possible pairing is fem!Harry/Draco, but will definitely have fem slash in here. No flames allowed!
1. Realizing It

**A/N** : It has been a while since I have wrote a story. Life happened and found myself not being able to write as much as I wanted to, and my desire to write was no longer there. I found myself really struggling to write, but I recently have had the urge to write again as of late. I also started playing this new Harry Potter game on my phone, and that gave me the urge to write a Harry Potter story XD.

This story is a bit based off of my experience attending the Pride Parade within my hometown. I am more of an ally, although I do consider myself as someone who is bi-curious. I am also polyamorous, which I hear is a sub-community within the LGBTQ+ community, you can correct me if I am wrong. If you wondering, no, my fem!Harry will **NOT** be polyamorous, but there may be references to the polyamorous lifestyle in one of my one-shots. If this makes you queasy, I suggest you read something else because I will not shy away from it. Basically, I was really inspired by attending Pride Parade and celebrating with other people of different types of sexual orientations, genders, lifestyles, etc. and it really inspired me to write a story about learning to accept and love who you are through a Harry Potter story, as I am learning to love and accept who I am myself and learning to accept who other people are.

There will be a focus on social justice issues for LGBTQ+ youth, references to biphobia, homophobia, etc. in some of these one-shots. Under ** _no_** circumstances will I accept flames! If you send a flame, despite me asking you not to, I will delete the flame. You have been warned! Constructive critique will be accepted, tho.

 _ **Summary**_ : A series of one-shots that focuses on a bisexual fem!Harry. Hariana 'Harri' Rose Potter learns about her sexuality at a very young age and struggles to navigate her way through the years at Hogwarts with it.

 _ **Rated**_ : T for references to sexuality, language

* * *

 **Chapter One: Realizing It**

 _Second Year_

Harri was having a bit of a mental breakdown. Well, not an actual one where her mind was gone and needed to be sent to the loony bin. No, not that kind of mental breakdown. It was more of the kind of mental breakdown that a pre-teen goes through when they discovered something that may be seen as bad or impure to others. Like, the first time a pre-teen discovers masterbation. Harri was still trying to get that image of catching Dudley doing just that in the bathroom one time during the summer before she came back to Hogwarts for her second year.

 _Ew, gross!_

This discovery was a bit different, though, and Harri was not sure what to do about it. That she, Hariana 'Harri' Rose Potter, the Girl-Who-Lived, was bi.

Harri thinks that she knew she was bi ever since she was little, but could not exactly put a word or label to it until just now. Aside from learning that she was a witch when she was only 11 years old, Harri always knew she was different. She always found herself not only liking boys, but _girls_ as well! She might have known ever since she kissed this popular girl during her primary school on a dare. It was just a dare, but after their lips touched, Harri had found that the kiss was rather… _pleasant_. She did not necessarily feel repulsed by it, but to be kissed by her felt rather nice.

But she thought nothing of it after that, thinking that it only felt nice because it was a good kiss, despite it only being a dare; and that she only liked boys, having a bunch of crushes of Muggle male popstars. But even as much as she tried to deny it, the thoughts kept coming back into her head.

Every once in a while, she found herself looking at a girl and think how pretty she looks and found herself developing somewhat of a crush on her. As of late, she discovered that she had a bit of a crush on Ginny Weasley, her best friend's little sister, and it was only until she read an article in the Daily Prophet about a well-known wizard coming out as bisexual that she finally able to put a word for these feelings she has been having for both boys and girls over the years.

As enlightening as this discovery was, Harri was filled with a sense of fear and dread. Not because she was scared of these feelings…well, maybe she was scared of them a _little_ , but she was scared mainly because of how everyone she knew would react if they ever found out that she, the Girl-Who-Lived, was bisexual. As far as she knew, not many people were very accepting of people who were bi in the Muggle world, and the Wizarding World did not seem that different either.

Harri could recall getting caught kissing the popular girl by her primary teacher and getting a severe reprimanding from her, remembering her saying that it wasn't "natural" for girls to kiss other girls. Going back to the Dursleys that same very day was no better. When she got there, she discovered that the Headmaster had called and told Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia what had happened. Not being happy about Harri kissing a girl was an understatement, Uncle Vernon was _livid_! She has never seen him that angry until Harri was told that she was a witch by Hagrid. She had gotten a severe beating from him and was given no meals for three days because of it. Vernon had yelled at her so loudly, telling her that she was going to get kicked out and that she was going to get AIDs if she ever did it again. Harri did not even know what AIDs was until she overheard the news on the TV talking about it while she was doing chores, but the experience left her feeling so scared and ashamed for even liking it that she tried desperately to suppress these feelings, and it worked, to an extent.

As much as Harri loved the Wizarding World (it was where she discovered a part of who she was, after all), there was one thing that Harri noticed that makes it similar to the Muggle World, and that is their animosity towards people who were gay or bi, or anyone who did not seem to follow the gender norms of society. Even in the Wizarding World, there seemed to be a sort of social standards of what is acceptable and not acceptable for both boys and girls. For example, Harri did not consider herself too much of a girly girl, more of a tomboy than anything else, and she often got ridiculed by her fellow female peers for preferring sports over putting on makeup and dressing up, or preferring to wear jeans and t-shirts over dresses and skirts. Even Malfoy liked to mock her by calling her a "butch".

With some of these social norms in place, Harri wondered if the Wizarding World had the same set of attitude towards queer people that most Muggles seemed to have, or if they were different. From the way the Daily Prophet article described the wizard coming out as bi sexual, she thinks it is not so different. The journalist who wrote the article was borderline homophobic, making slights at the wizard's sexual orientation and even included an interview with some of the wizard's relatives of how promiscuous he was because of the "many lovers" he has had. She didn't even really know what that word was until she asked Hermione, and it took some time before the bush-haired girl finally stammered out what it meant. It did not necessarily make Harri feel good and she started to wonder if maybe that because she was bi, she was promiscuous.

Was she really, though? Did being bi sexual mean that she was promiscuous?

Harri did not know for sure, and she did not necessarily want to go up and ask Hermione because that would mean she would have to disclose to her that she was bi. Harri did not think she was ready for that yet as she was unsure of how Hermione would react. Hermione did not seem to be the kind of person who would judge her for being bi, but she wasn't sure, nor was she sure of how Ron would react. And the fear of possibly losing the only people she ever really loved and cared about is what kept her from telling them.

The need to talk to somebody about it was becoming stronger every day, but who could she talk to? She couldn't think of anyone who she could trust with her secret. Then she thought of something…

 _"Is there anything that you wish to tell me?"_

She recalled Professor Albus Dumbledore asking her that question when she was in his office the day Professor McGonagall sent her to his office over Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick being petrified. She could tell that he sense something was wrong, and it is probably why he asked that question, but hearing Hermione's voice about how hearing voices was not a good sign, she choose not to say anything. But now, she is thinking that maybe this is something she can tell Dumbledore about it.

There was still that fear of the possible consequences of what might happen if she confessed to him that she was bi sexual, but she had a hunch that maybe this was something she could trust him with.

With her mind made up, Harri got up from her bed and made her way to Dumbledore's office.

* * *

Harri could feel herself lose her nerve as she stood right outside of Dumbledore's office. Here she was about to go and confess to someone her deepest secret, and she wasn't sure if she could trust him with that secret. The memories of the Headmaster at her primary school telling her uncle and aunt about her "bad behavior" and them punishing her for it kept playing in her head over and over again.

What if Dumbledore is like the other Headmaster and sees me as someone who is sick and needs help? What if he just tells my uncle and aunt what I am about to say and I end up getting punished for it again?

Taking deep breaths, Harri tried remaining calm and tried not letting her anxious thoughts get the best of her.

' _It was now or never…_ '

And Harri wasn't sure how much longer she could take without telling anyone before she finally exploded. Raising her hand, she finally knocked on the door.

" _Enter!_ " came the jovial voice of Dumbledore.

Steeling herself before she lost her nerve again, Harri slowly opened the door and went inside the office, seeing Professor Dumbledore sitting in his office with Fawkes perched right beside him.

"Ah, Harri, what a pleasant surprise!" Dumbledore said with a smile on his face when he saw that it was her. "Come in, come in!"

Harri approached his desk, still feeling apprehensive about saying what she wants to say.

"I trust that Miss Granger is recovering well from being petrified?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, of course, she is doing well!" Harri replied. "She was a bit disappointed that you cancelled the exams, but that is how she is."

Dumbledore gave a small chuckle.

"Of course. She is an exceedingly bright witch, your friend, I can tell that she is going to accomplish great things."

"Of that I don't doubt, sir," Harri said.

The small talk was helping Harri feel a little more at ease and maybe better prepare of what she was about to say.

"So," Dumbledore began, "what brings you here, Harri?"

Harri took a deep internal breath, trying to calm her nerves.

"I kind of wanted to talk to you about something, something that has been bothering me for a while. It has nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets, but it has more to do with an article that I read in the Daily Prophet earlier…"

"I assume that you mean the article that everyone in the school is talking about?" Dumbledore asked

"Sir?"

"The article that talks about my friend's sexual orientation."

"Ah, yes, yes, it is that article…"

Harri bit her lip, unsure of how to say this.

"Is there something you wish to tell me, Harri?"

There was that question again. Harri could feel herself getting more nervous by the minute.

"There…is something…I wish to tell you, Professor."

"What is it, Harri?"

Harri took a deep breath before she finally said what she needed to say.

"I was particularly bothered by what the article said about his sexual orientation, and…and it got me thinking…. The way the article described it made it sound as if it was a bad thing, for the wizard to be attracted to both sexes, and it just got me thinking—"

"That what this article said about someone being bi, does that mean that you are like this as well?" Dumbledore interrupted her.

It took a moment for Harri to register what Dumbledore had said, but once she did, she looked at him in shock, gaping. How did he know that was what she was going to say? She could see him looking at her with understanding and he got up from his desk.

"I understand how you feel, Harri…" Dumbledore began as he walked around his desk to stand in front of her, "as I myself have had these thoughts when I was your age."

Harri's eyes went wide as she finally understood the meaning of his words.

"You mean that…?"

"Yes, I am," Dumbledore replied, "although I am not of the same orientation as you."

The shock did not wear off quite yet for Harri. Here was her Headmaster, expecting him to be repulsed by her and punish her for having such "sinful" thoughts, only to be surprised by having him not only accept her feelings, but confess himself to her that he is gay.

"I understand what you are going through, Harri, Dumbledore said. "And I can tell you that your orientation does not put you in a category that people put you in. You are who you are, you feel what you feel, and that makes it valid."

Dumbledore continued,

"I know that it can be scary being who you are and being in two different worlds where both don't want to accept you for who you are, and I think that's why it is good to have great friends to help us guide us through it."

For once in the twelve and a half years of her life, Harri felt a weight lifted off her shoulders and a smile came onto her face. She was accepted! And by someone who himself was a little like her, more or less. But then his words about friends registered in her mind and her smile fell a bit.

"Uh, sir, I haven't exactly told my friends yet about it," Harri said. "A part of me is still scared of what might happen if I was to tell them. I can imagine Hermione being a little more accepting, but Ron…"

"I understand…"

"Let me leave you with this one piece of advice then: your true friends are the ones who will love and accept you no matter what. Those are the kind of friends that you want to hold on to. Do you understand?"

Harri nodded, even though she only understood a little of what he said. His words only became more clearer to her when she finally confessed to Ron and Hermione about her sexual orientation.

"Good," Dumbledore said. "Now, off you go! You got a lot of packing to do before you take the train back to London."

"Thank you, Professor."

And with that, they bid each other goodbye with Harri going back to the Gryffindor House, feeling a lot less heavy than she did before and a lot happier. For once in a long time (not ever since she found out she was a witch), she did not feel so alone.

* * *

 **A/N** : I decided to have Dumbledore disclose to Harri about his sexual orientation, I felt as if anyone should be the first to know about Harri being bi it's Dumbledore since he is gay (JK Rowling said it herself) and who better to understand her situation than him? Next chapter will focus on Harri coming out to Ron and Hermione in her third year.

Also, I want to make sure that I bring out the experiences of being bi-sexual as accurate as possible, so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave one. I am only going based off of my own experiences of being polyamorous (and being polyamorous is somewhat different than being bi) and what I know about the bi community through research and friends. I will also accept suggestions on different titles for the story as I am not sure if this title really fits, just can't think of a different title right now. Once again, tho, no flames! Constructive critique are welcomed.


	2. Friends That Matter

**A/N** : I apologize if it took a while to come up with the second chapter, I meant to post this during the weekend, but then a dear friend of mine was admitted to the hospital to be induced into labor to give birth to her first child. I was basically at the hospital with her ALL weekend to help her through the labor. My niece was born on Saturday :) and then the next day I celebrated my 26th birthday, so I've been busy.

This chapter takes place during Harri's third year, sometime before Crookshanks supposedly "kills" Scabbers (Peter Pettigrew) and Ron and Hermione fight over it.

 _ **Summary of Chapter**_ : Harri finally tells Ron and Hermione about her sexual orientation. While Hermione is accepting of it, Ron struggles to understand it and is unsure what to think of this news. It takes a little bit of help from a powerful wizard for Ron to finally understand it.

 _ **Rated**_ : T for references to sexuality, language

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Friends That Matter**

 _Third Year_

Well, she finally told them. She finally told her friends that she was bi, now all she had to do was wait to see their reactions. She expected them to be disgusted with her and start throwing insults at her the way she has heard from first-hand accounts of people coming out. It was a quiet Sunday in the Gryffindor common room with no one but the three of them, and Harri thought it was the right moment for her to finally tell them about her sexual orientation with no one around. So she finally did, and she looked up at her friends to see their reaction once she did.

Ron looked shocked, his eyes wide and gaping at her as if he could not believe what he just heard. Harri did not know what exactly that meant, and it honestly worried her a little bit, but then she looked to Hermione who only had a neutral look on her face. That look was rather peculiar to Harri, and she didn't understand it. That was not a reaction that she heard people having when she heard stories of people coming out.

"Well, it is about time that you finally told us," Hermione finally said, much to the shock of both Harri and Ron.

Harri was very shocked by Hermione's reaction. It was not the one she was expecting, but more importantly, she made it sound as if she knew all along. Apparently, Ron thought the same thing too.

"Wait a second, you _knew_ about this?" Ron said. "How in the bloody hell did you know before she even told us? I didn't even know or notice anything!"

"I saw the way Harri looked at some of both of the boys and girls in our class," Hermione said as if it was the most simplest explanation. She then looks at Harri with a knowing look and smirks at her. "Couldn't take your eyes off of Cho Chang during the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, could you, Harri?"

At this, Harri began to blush. She did not think that her crush on the Chinese Ravenclaw 4th year was that obvious. Then again, with Hermione, she was more observant than anyone else and probably could see things that most people couldn't.

"So…" Harri began, "does that mean that you are okay with me being…you know…?"

At this, Hermione gives Harri an exasperated look as if that was the most ridiculous thing in the world for her to ask.

"Harri, I do not see why is it that I shouldn't be okay with it," she said. "You are my best friend, I love you no matter who you love, regardless of what their gender is."

Hearing this made Harri's eyes start to get a little misty and Hermione got up from her chair to go hug her when she saw this.

"Oh, Harri! Please don't cry, I know it's hard to believe, but there are people out there who would love you for who you are no matter what."

"I know, I know, it's just…" Harri said as she held back her tears.

"Shh, it's okay, you don't have to say anything," Hermione said as she comforted her, "I understand."

The two girls held onto each other like this for a couple of minutes before they finally let go of each other.

"Thank you," Harri said to Hermione.

The two of them then looked at Ron, who had been quiet and stayed where he sat the whole time. He still looked quite shock at the news that his best friend was bi, but his eyes weren't wide anymore and his mouth wasn't gaping either. Harri wasn't sure if this meant a good or bad thing.

' _Calm before the storm, maybe?_ ' she thought. She hoped not.

"Ron, are you okay with this?" Harri asked him, bringing him out of his shock state if only for a moment.

There was a moment where Ron was silent, and Harri could see him take a deep breath before finally speaking.

"I…" he began, "I think I need some time to think about this. This news is a bit of a shock to me, and I need to think it over."

That little sense of hope that Harri began to feel that Ron would be accepting of her too was deflated. She began to feel anxiety creep on her, fearing the worst possible outcome of this situation, but she tried to remain positive about it. He only said that he would think about it, it meant there was still a chance for him that he could accept the fact that she was bi.

"Oh, um…yeah, sure, that—that's fine," Harri said. "Take as much time as you need."

Ron nodded before he grabbed his backpack.

"I think I am going to head to the library."

He then got up and left the common room. That anxiety that Harri felt earlier was coming back as she watched him leave. Did she make a mistake in telling the both of them about this?

"Don't worry, he is just shocked about it, is all," Hermione said, trying to comfort her. "Give him some time, I'm sure he'll come around."

Harri hope to Merlin that she was right.

* * *

It's been a little over a week since Harri first told Ron and Hermione about her sexual orientation, and Ron has not spoken to both Harri and Hermione since then. Harri was starting to get depressed, fearing that she had lost her best friend for coming out, and beginning to regret telling both him and Hermione about her sexuality.

"How can you say that, Harri?!" Hermione said to her when she voiced this one night in the girls dormitory. "If there is anyone who should be feeling regret, it's Ron! It's not your fault that he's so ignorant that he can't love and accept you for who you are."

Harri knew that Hermione only meant to make her feel better, but it didn't necessarily make her feel better. As much as she was grateful for Hermione accepting her, it was also Ron's acceptance that mattered the most because he was one of the very few people that was kind to her and one of the first few people she befriended when she first came into the Wizarding World. She feared that she had lost her best friend forever by coming out. She knew that other people who were like her or gay probably had it much worse than her (1) where everyone they loved ended up rejecting them after coming out, but still, the fact that it seemed as if Ron was rejecting her because of her sexual orientation hurt a lot more than she expected. Harri always prepared herself for the possibility of rejection from her friends, but to feel it now was almost too difficult to bear.

The whole school was beginning to notice the rift between the Golden Trio, and they began whispering to each other, trying to speculate what had happened between them. Luckily, as far as Harri knew, Ron had kept silent on the issue, even when she overheard her peers trying to press him for information. ' _At least he has enough sense and courtesy to know I prefer to keep my sexual orientation private_ ,' Harri thought.

One day, Harri was on her way to the Great Hall for lunch. When she got there, she could hear loud voices. It took her a moment to register that the voices belonged to Ron and Hermione, and she looked up to see them standing in the middle of the entrance of the Great Hall. People were starting to gather around the both of them, watching the two of them argue.

"You just don't get it, Hermione!" Ron said to her.

"What? What is it that I 'don't get'?" Hermione yelled, her voice nearly screeching. "It's been over a week since Harri told you, Ron, and you _still_ haven't given her an answer! She is starting to think that you are rejecting her."

"I'm…I just…I just don't know what to think of it…"

"Of what? That Harri is the way she is? That she can't help how she feels or who she loves?"

" _Hermione!_ "

At this point, Harri decided it was best to interrupt this fight before it got too out of hand and before the whole school started speculating even more about what was going on between the Golden Trio. She did not want to disclose to the whole school about her sexual orientation yet, and Hermione was getting really close to telling the whole school just that.

The whole corridor went silent when Harri shouted at Hermione, and everybody turned to her. They watched as Harri went down the stairs towards Ron and Hermione, watching with anticipation what will happen next.

Harri kept her eyes on Hermione the whole time as she walked towards them, not wanting to look Ron's way for fear she might see him look at her with disgust. Without warning, Harri grabbed Hermione's wrist and dragged her out of there.

"We need to talk."

Everybody watched the two girls leave, perplexed and wondering what it was the two girls were going to go talk about. After hearing the argument between Ron and Hermione, it only made them speculate more.

Harri dragged Hermione all the way to an empty corridor where they can get a little more privacy. Once she figured it safe and that no one had followed them, she then turned to Hermione, her anger coming in full force.

" _ **What** in the bloody hell do you think you were **doing** , Hermione?!_" she said, gritting her teeth.

Hermione was taken aback by her anger, obviously not expecting this from her. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"What do I mean? _What do I mean?_ " Harri said, her voice nearly raising. She tried remaining calm, though, as she took a couple of deep breaths, trying to make sure her voice doesn't rise so people will hear her. "Hermione, you nearly gave away to the entire school about what I told you and Ron over a week ago!"

"I'm sorry, Harri, I was just so angry at the way Ron was treating you. I had to say something…"

"I realize that, but you don't go yelling about it to him in front of everyone to hear!"

After snapping at her, Harri could see the hurt look on Hermione's face. This made Harri sigh in exasperation, realizing that she was letting her anger get carried away. She knew that Hermione meant well, and she was obviously going at it the wrong way to tell her why the way she did it was inappropriate.

"Look, I'm sorry, it's just…" Harri began a little more calmly now. "I am not ready to come out to the entire school. If I come out to the entire school, then everybody in the Wizarding World would know and right now, I am too scared to come out. Many people both in the Muggle World and the Wizarding World will not accept me for who I am, and I am not ready to handle that yet. I need to come out to them on my own terms. Can you understand that?"

Hermione looked like she was deep in thought and it took a moment before she finally nodded.

"I'm sorry, I should have known better," she finally said. "I just got so angry at seeing the way Ron was treating you that I didn't think of what the consequences would be for you by confronting him like that in front of everybody."

"It's okay, just be careful next time, please. Now, come on, let's get back to the Great Hall, I'm starving!"

Hermione scoffed at this. "You are starting to pick up Ron's eating habits."

This made Harri laugh, if only for a moment.

* * *

Harri decided to go see Hagrid after lunch, not only wanting to see Buckbeak but also wanting to talk to Hagrid. She was on her way through the courtyard when she was blocked by someone.

"Excuse me," she said, trying to get around them. But then they stepped in front of her again, completely blocking her way.

"Ah, what's the rush, Potter? Can't stop for a quick chat?" she heard the person say.

Harri recognized that the voice belonged to Draco Malfoy. Sure enough, when she looked up, she could see the platinum blond hair and the grey eyes, him smirking down at her. He has grown an inch taller over the summer, making Harri having to look up at him, much to her chagrin.

"Get out of my way, Malfoy!" Harri snapped. She was not in the mood to deal with him right now.

"That's not very friendly now, is it?" Malfoy said. "And I thought we were such good friends!"

"Say, what were your friends the mudblood and Weaselby arguing about in the Great Hall? Are you two no longer talking because of love life issues?"

"That is none of your business, Malfoy," Harri said, feeling herself getting irritated very quickly. "And stop calling Hermione that! Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to get to Hagrid's…"

But Malfoy would not let her leave.

"Come on, Potter, all I want to know who is the poor bloke that you seem to be so infatuated with," he said. "Are you perhaps in love with a Slytherin? Is that why Weaselby is so angry at you?"

"I am not in love with any of you slimy Slytherins. And even if I was, why would I tell you?"

"Come on, Potter, I just want to know who it is," Malfoy continued to press her. "Are you perhaps afraid to say who it is because it might be me?"

Harri scoffed at this. "Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy, it just makes you look more like an arrogant git than you already are."

This just made Malfoy smirk.

"Ah, but there must be something you love about my arrogance."

"In your dreams, Malfoy! Now, bugger off!"

She made to move around him, but he once again blocked her away.

"I won't let you leave until you tell me. Once you do, then I'll let you go visit that oaf."

At this point, Harri was getting really irritated and could feel herself itching her hand towards her wand. She was getting ready to take out her wand and hex him, but she never got a chance to when a voice interrupted them.

"Why don't you sod off, Malfoy?"

Harri turned around to see who had come to her defense and, to her surprise, saw that it was Ron.

"What's wrong, Weaselby? I just want to find out who the person is that she likes that you seem to disapprove of," Malfoy said.

"There is no one that she likes that I disapprove of!" Ron snapped. "Even if there was, it's none of your business. Now sod off; otherwise, I'll hex you."

"Alright, fine, I can see this isn't getting anywhere," Malfoy said, finally relenting. "But I'll find out who it is, one way or another."

Harri just gave him a look, wondering why he even cared to know. ' _Probably just wanted to get under my skin, the slimy git_ ,' she thought, brushing it off. Malfoy looked back at Harri then and lifted up her chin. Harri responded to this by smacking his hand away, indignant that he would dare even touch her. This only made him laugh, infuriating Harri even more, before he finally left.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked her once Malfoy was finally out of earshot.

"Yeah, I'm fine, he was just trying to annoy me, that's all," Harri responded.

There was a moment of a silence before Harri spoke up again.

"Thank you for that, but you didn't really have to do that. I know that you are mad at me still…"

"I'm not mad at you!" Ron interrupted her then he gave a look as if he was thinking about something. "Well, maybe I am a little bit, but it's not for the reasons that you think…"

At this, Harri looked up at him in surprise. "You mean that you aren't mad at me for coming out as…you know…?"

"I think I was at first, but it's a bit complicated really. I was a bit in a state of shock when you told me and Hermione about it, but you have to understand, Harri, that I never knew anyone who was attracted to…well…you know…"

Harri was grateful that Ron was tactful enough not to talk about her sexual orientation outloud in public for everyone to hear. He seemed to have more of an understanding that Harri would prefer to keep this quiet.

"I was always taught that in a relationship or marriage, it was always between a man and a woman, so I couldn't really quite understand why you identify that way, but then someone talked to me about it and I was able to understand it more," Ron continued. "But I think, more importantly, I was more mad at the fact that you never told us from the beginning. I felt as if you couldn't trust us enough with something as important as that, so I just want to know, why did you never tell us from the beginning?"

Harri shrugged her shoulders, unsure how to tell Ron this.

"I dunno…" she began. "I guess…I guess I was just scared. I wasn't sure how you would feel about me being…being who I am. Not many people would accept me for being b-I mean, for who I am…"

"Even in the Muggle World, there are people there who will condemn me or even worse kill me for who I am. I guess I never told you and Hermione until now is because…I was afraid that you would condemn me the same way my own aunt and uncle condemned me. I-I was afraid of losing the only friends that I had because the Wizarding World didn't seem that much different…"

"Well, at least I understand that bit now," Ron finally said after she was done explaining.

There was a silence between the two of them for a bit until Harri finally broke the silence.

"Sooo, are we still friends or…?" she asked, unsure if this interaction meant a good or bad thing. She mentally prepared for the worst, but was surprised by his response.

"You kidding?! You think I would abandon my best friend all because she is attracted to who she is attracted to, regardless of the gender? Granted, it would take me some time to understand it, but I think I would have come around, with a little of the pep talk I got."

This made Harri smile, feeling a sense of relief and a sense of happiness now knowing that Ron was able to understand and accept her. But then she thought of something that he said earlier.

"Who exactly talked to you about this?" she asked.

"Believe it or not, it was actually Professor Dumbledore who talked to me about it," Ron said.

"Dumbledore talked to you?" Harri said, surprised at this, knowing that Dumbledore told her last year about his sexual orientation. "What exactly did he say?"

"He didn't say much, just helped me see it from your perspective and helped me understand why you identify that way," Ron said. "A bit of a mystery, he seemed to know quite a lot on the issue, I wonder why that is…"

The way Ron talked about it made Harri think that Dumbledore didn't exactly tell Ron about his sexual orientation and he would have preferred to keep it private, from the way he was so secretive about it.

"I'm not sure either…" Harri responded with a bit of a knowing smile.

"Where you heading off to?" Ron asked, not seeming to notice it.

"Oh, I was heading to Hagrid's," Harri replied. "I wanted to see how he and Buckbeak were doing. Want to come with?"

"Sure, you know I am always up for seeing the ol' bloke!"

They then started heading out towards the castle grounds to Hagrid's. As they did, Dumbledore's words from last year started to ring true in her head: the friends who loved and accepted for who you are are the ones to hold on to. It may have took a little bit of time with Ron, but, just like always, he came around and remained loyal to her. She could not have asked for a better friend like both Ron and Hermione.

* * *

 **A/N** : So there's the second one-shot! I hope I was able to bring out the depth of someone who is bi or anyone who identifies as queer or non-conforming gender identity as coming out. I decided to have Ron react a little more negatively because I always imagined Hermione being a little more accepting while Ron would take a little more time to understand and comprehend what it meant to him, but would eventually come around. The next couple of one-shots will most likely take place in fourth year.

( **1** ) I will focus on the phrase "people have it worse" in a later one-shot as I find this phrase a bit invalidating in a mental health capacity, and mental health is also an LGBTQ issue, so I will address this in a later chapter

REMINDER: I DO NOT accept flames, but will accept constructive criticism. Also, still willing to accept people's own advice on how to better write out bi people's experiences.


	3. The Problem With Wanting To Date Who You

**A/N** : Hi, everyone, here is the third chapter to my one-shot series of a bi and fem!Harri. The political climate got a little overwhelming for me, so I needed to take a step back from writing for a bit before continuing. But Bi-Visibility Day and National Coming Out Day came by not too long ago, so to all my bi readers, I hope you had a wonderful Bi Visibility Day. To all my queer readers, I hope you had a great National Coming Out Day :).

 _ **Timeline for Chapter Three**_ : A few weeks before the Yule Ball

 ** _Summary of the chapter:_** Harri struggles with finding a date to the Yule Ball when she really wants to go to the ball with Cho Chang, but feels conflicted about wanting to because of her fear of coming out. She then makes a new friend who tries helping her.

 ** _Rating:_** T for references to sexuality, language

* * *

 _ **Chapter Three: The Problem With Wanting To Date Who You Want**_

 _Year Four_

Harri was in the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione during dinner. While everyone else was eating, though, Harri was busy staring at the Ravenclaw table where her crush, Cho Chang, was sitting with her friends laughing and giggling with them. She began to daydream about one day making Cho smile and laugh like that and maybe even experiencing her first real kiss with her. She was daydreaming about it so much that she didn't even hear Hermione trying to get her attention.

"Harri…. Harri….. _Harri!_ "

Hermione then decided to kick Harri in the shins in order to get Harri's attention, taking her out of her dream-like state.

" _Ow!_ "

Harri cried out loudly enough for the Great Hall to go quiet for a moment and for everyone to turn and stare at the Golden Trio, wondering what the commotion was, but quickly went back to minding their own business. Feeling herself become embarrassed and blushing at causing such a scene as she saw Cho giving her a curious look, she then turned her attention to Hermione and hissed at her under her breath,

"What did you do that for?"

"I was trying to get your attention for the last five minutes, but you didn't seem to hear me," Hermione said. "Or were you too busy staring at Cho Chang?"

Harri could feel herself blush even deeper at having been caught and tried to deny it.

"I wasn't staring at her…"

Hermione interrupted her by giving her an exasperated look as if to tell her she knew better and for Harri to stop lying to her, and this shut the latter up.

"Why don't you just go talk to her? I'm sure she wouldn't mind," Hermione said.

"I can't just go up and "talk to her"!"

"And why not?"

At this, Harri was quiet for a few moments, a look of sadness on her face.

"Because…well…I am not really her type," Harri replied. "She seems to like guys like Cedric Diggory."

She said the last part with a bit of bitterness, and it was here that Hermione gave her a look of sympathy, but it felt more like pity to Harri. Although Harri did not hold anything against Cedric, he definitely seemed like a decent guy and he was very handsome, she could not help but feel some sort of jealousy towards him. Rumor was it that he and Cho were a thing, and it made Harri a little sad knowing that Cho wouldn't like her the way she liked her.

Ron, who had his mouth stuffed with food, finally looked up from his plate and asked, "Who are we talking about?"

Hermione gave him an annoyed look before finally answering. "We are talking about Cho Chang," she said.

"What, _her_? Blimey, you still have a crush on that Ravenclaw?!" Ron asked Harri.

She nods her head in confirmation.

"I honestly think you can do way better than _her_ , mate," Ron claimed as he stuffed more food in his mouth.

"And why is that?" Harri asked, her tone getting a little defensive, wondering why Ron didn't like Cho Chang.

"Because she is a Ravenclaw!" was Ron's simple answer. "They act all high and mighty just because they are so smart."

Both girls just rolled their eyes at his answer. Hermione then turned her attention back to Harri.

"Anyway, I was trying to get your attention, Harri, to ask if you have a date to the Yule Ball," she said. "It is coming up soon, after all, and the Champions are expected to have dates."

Harri did not really want to talk about this particular subject. Not because she did not want to talk about it with Hermione, it was mainly because Harri knew that as one of the Triwizard Champions (' _Unwillingly_ ,' she added), she was expected to have a date for the Yule Ball, but more importantly, she was expected to show up with a _male_ date. Really, though, she would have preferred to go to the Yule Ball with Cho Chang if no one seemed to care about the gender or the sex of the person's date _and_ if the Ravenclaw seeker liked her back in that way. But the fact that people _did_ care about the gender and sex of a person's date and that most likely Cho didn't like her back in that way made it hard for her to take who she _really_ wanted to take to the Yule Ball with.

Realizing that Hermione was still patiently waiting for her answer, Harri finally mumbled out no. This made Hermione give her an annoyed look.

"Harri, you have got to find a date for the Yule Ball and fast!" she said. "The ball is only three weeks away, and it is tradition for Triwizard Champions to begin the first dance of the ball with their dates."

"Who are _you_ going to the ball with then?" Harri asked her.

At this, Hermione turned beet red, and Harri was almost surprised by her reaction, wondering why she reacted that way.

"I…don't worry about who I am going with, that has already been taken care of," Hermione responded. "What I am more worried about is _you_ getting a date."

"Taken care of? Does that mean you already have a date?" Ron asked.

"Never mind that!" Hermione snapped at him before turning her attention back to Harri. "Who do you plan on going to the Yule Ball with?"

"I don't know, Hermione," Harri snapped a little bit, getting a bit agitated by her pressure before calming down. "Just…just give me a day or two, I'm sure I'll have a date by then."

But a day went by and still Harri did not have a date to the Yule Ball. Then another day and still no date. Pretty much a whole week went by, and Harri _still_ did not have a date for the Yule Ball, which meant that she only had two weeks left to find a date, and those two weeks were going to go by faster than she expected.

Harri was out in the courtyard sitting on one of the benches, wanting to be left alone. Mainly, though, she was avoiding Hermione because she was starting to constantly nag at her to find a date for the Yule Ball. Not only was Hermione nagging her, but even Professor McGonagall was starting to nag at her too. It was really starting to grate on Harri's nerves on how much pressure there was on her just to find a date to the ball all because she was a Triwizard Champion. If she wasn't a Champion and fourth years were allowed to go to the ball, Harri probably wouldn't even have to worry about finding a date, she'd probably just go by herself if she wanted to!

Truth be told, though, Harri _did_ want to go to the Yule Ball with someone, but that someone was the same sex as her and was most likely taken, if the rumors about both Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory as a couple were true. As a Triwizard Champion, however, it was expected of Harri to have a male partner rather than a female partner as her date. With all the dancing lessons Professor McGonagall had the Gryffindor fourth years and above go through and the private talks she kept having with Harri about having a date for the Yule Ball, it was very obvious that she was expected to show up to the Yule Ball with a male partner.

As much as Harri found some of the boys from both Hogwarts and Durmstrang attractive, _they_ were not who she wanted to go to the Yule Ball. _They_ did not create butterflies in her stomach and make her feel all tongue-tied every time she saw Cho Chang. There were times where Harri thought of just throwing tradition out the window and just ask Cho out to the Yule Ball, but then she would stop and think to herself what Cho would think about her if she did and, more importantly, how would the whole school react if they saw her come to the ball with Cho, even if the latter agreed to? It was thoughts like that that kept her from doing that.

It was then that Cho and a bunch of her girlfriends were walking past her, and Harri watched her, feeling those butterflies in her stomach come back as she did. She caught Cho's eye, and Cho smiled and waved at her once she did. Harri responded by smiling shyly and waving back, feeling a blush creep on her face as she did. It was then that a voice interrupted her thoughts.

" _Perdón (_ **1** ), may I sit next to you?"

Harri looked up to see who it was that was talking to her and found that it was one of the Beauxbatons girls.

"Excuse me?"

"I was wondering if I could sit next to you on the bench," the girl said, referring to the empty spot right next to Harri.

"Oh, um, yeah, sure, it's fine," Harri said. Although, truth be told, she just wanted to be left alone, but didn't want to come across as rude if she said that.

"¡ _Gracias_!" the girl said with a smile before she sat right next to Harri.

The two girls sat there in a bit of awkward silence, just watching everyone in the courtyard go by, until Harri decided to steal a glance at the girl. From sideways, Harri could see that this girl was definitely beautiful, but then again, most of the girls from the Beauxbatons were beautiful. There was something a little different about this girl, though, and Harri couldn't exactly put her finger as to why she seemed different. Physically, the girl was very attractive: she was a bit darker than the rest of the Beauxbatons girls and her hair was dark brown that was long and curled at the ends. Her eyes were green as well, but not green like Harri's where her eyes had more of a jade-green like color, this girl's eyes were more of a dark green. The Beauxbaton girl also looked a bit taller than Harri, maybe about 5"7 or 5"8? She definitely looked different from all the other Beauxbaton girls who were pale-skinned and had light hair and light eye color, but Harri thought that she was rather beautiful.

The girl then turned to her and noticed her staring. Realizing that she had been caught, Harri blushed and turned away from her, not seeing the girl smile at her for this.

"I don't mean to intrude on your solitude, but I figured since we are sitting next to each other that we should introduce ourselves," the girl said as Harri turned to look back at her. "My name is Esperanza, Esperanza Castilla."

"I'm Hariana, but most people just call me Harri," Harri said as she shook the hand that Esperanza held out for her to shake, "but it is with an 'i' instead of an 'y' like they do with the boy's name."

"Well, then, Harri with an 'i' instead of a 'y', it is very nice to meet you," Esperanza said, making Harri laugh a little bit. "You wouldn't happen to be _the_ Hariana Potter, would you?"

Harri hesitated to answer, feeling as if a whole set of praises were about to come just for being the Girl-Who-Lived if she were to say she was, but she decided to say it anyway.

"I am…"

"Has anyone ever told you that you look more beautiful in person than in the pictures?" came Esperanza's response.

It was this response that surprised Harri as it was a praise that she often did not receive when she first tells someone that she is the Girl-Who-Lived. Often times, she would receive a lot of praise on the fact that she had somehow miraculously defeated Lord Voldemort when, really, Harri puts more credit to her mother for defeating Lord Voldemort. But to receive a compliment about her physical traits was something she often did not receive.

Harri did not consider herself the most attractive female compared to the rest of her female peers. She even found Hermione more beautiful, even though she herself did not see herself that way. Harri found herself a little too skinny and her hair, no matter how many times she brushed it, it always stayed the same messy jet-black hair, just like her father's as both Remus Lupin and her godfather Sirius Black always told her. She felt as if her knees were a little too knobbly, and she also felt that she was more toned than other girls due to her playing Quidditch. Most of her female peers like Lavender and Parvati liked to gossip, talk about boys or the latest fashion, and put on make-up. Harri did not even know how to put on make-up! She has always been a tomboy from the time she was little. Mostly because her home situation made it impossible for her to "act like a girl".

The only physical attribute that she truly liked about herself were her eyes. It was more because her eyes reminded her of her mother. Often, people told her that she looked like her father, but had her mother's eyes, and, looking at pictures of her mother when she was alive, she indeed saw that she definitely had her mother's eyes. Her eyes were a jade-green color that they sparkled when she was happy and burned with fire when she was angry; at least, that's what people told her how her eyes looked when she expressed certain emotions.

She never really saw herself as beautiful, so she was very stunned to hear this older girl tell her that. Then again, she _had_ been noticing boys starting to pay more attention to her and treat her more nicely. There has even been some boys from both Hogwarts and Durmstrang who have asked her out to the Yule Ball, but she had turned them all down gently, not necessarily wanting to go to the Yule Ball with them specifically; however, she only thought this new attention she was receiving was because of the fame that came with being the Girl-Who-Lived.

"Do you really think I am beautiful?" Harri asked Esperanza.

Esperanza gave her an incredulous look as if hearing that question was the most ridiculous thing she has ever heard.

"Why do you think that _mocoso rubio_ ( **1** ) named Malfoy asked you to the Yule Ball?" she asked.

Harri nearly gagged at the thought of the memory of Draco Malfoy asking her to the Yule Ball. But Harri thought he only asked her so that he could win some stupid bet he made with his Slytherin friends, and there was no way in bloody hell she was going to give him the satisfaction, telling him that she would not go to the ball with him not even if she was the last man on Earth. Not even the blackmail he tried to pull on her would make her budge. When he tried doing that, Harri then told him that he had to be the most pathetic loser to resort to blackmail to get a girl to go out with him. It looked as if he was about to hex her, and Harri was ready to defend herself when Professor Allister Moody interrupted them, taking away house points from Slytherin for attempting to blackmail a student. Malfoy was angry at this, but relented, not wanting to provoke Moody and have a repeat of the 'Bouncing Ferret' incident. He left, but not before telling Harri that she'll regret saying no to him.

"How exactly did you know he asked me out to the Yule Ball?" Harri asked Esperanza.

" _Ai, Dios mío_ ( **1** )!" Esperanza exclaimed. "He wasn't exactly being very quiet about it, it was almost as if he wanted all three schools to hear that he asked the Hariana Potter to the Yule Ball."

At this, Harri laughed, remembering how Malfoy had loudly asked her out for everyone to hear and how she was embarrassed by the whole situation. Hearing the way Esperanza describe it, though, it made the situation almost sound comical. Then she thought of something that Esperanza said earlier.

"That word that you used to describe Malfoy…"

" _Mocoso rubio_?"

"Yes, that! What does it mean?"

"It means blonde brat in Spanish," Esperanza responded.

"Are you Spaniard?" Harri asked.

" _Sí!_ " Esperanza responded. "I am from Madrid, Spain." She said this part with a bit of pride. "Although, I would advise not calling someone from Barcelona Spaniard, they actually get highly offended when you do. They consider themselves something different from Spaniards because they speak Catalan. Bunch of snobs, if you ask me."

"How did you end up in Beauxbatons?" Harri asked. "I always thought that everyone from there were from France…"

"Well, the majority of them are, but Beauxbatons also accepts students from Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands ( **2** )," Esperanza replied.

"Oh," Harri simply said before continuing. "Sorry for assuming, I've had very few interactions with people from Beauxbatons and Fleur seems to be quite…"

"Interesting?" Esperanza finished for her.

"Well, that's a nice way of putting it."

At this response, Esperanza laughed and Harri couldn't help but smile, thinking how Esperanza looked even more beautiful when she had a smile on her face.

"Fleur can sure come across as a bit stuck-up and lacks certain social skills, such as tact," Esperanza began, "but once you get to know her, you find that she is really a nice person and there is more to her than what people think of her."

It was quiet for a few moments between them as they went back to observing people in the courtyard when Esperanza suddenly turned back to Harri.

"So, any chance of getting a date for the Yule Ball yet?" Esperanza asked. When Harri shook her head no, Esperanza continued. "Any idea of who you want to go to the Yule Ball with? Maybe I can help you ask them out."

There was really only one person that Harri had in mind of taking to the Yule Ball, but it was most likely not even allowed; plus, Harri still worried of what people would think of her if they found out she was bi-sexual. If she came to the ball with another girl as her date, the whole school will begin to question her and no doubt Rita Skeeter would turn this into a scandal at the possibility that Hariana Potter, the Girl-Who-Lived, was a _dyke_ ( **3** ). Harri just did not think she was quite ready to face being ridiculed or worse by the whole school and even the whole wizarding world on the basis of her sexual orientation.

Harri shook her head at Esperanza's question.

"What about that Chinese girl that I notice you keep staring at?"

It took a minute for Harri to register the meaning of Esperanza's words, but once she did, she immediately felt herself starting to panic. She looked at her with wide eyes, mouth agape. While it looked like to an outsider that Harri just looked quite shocked at what Esperanza said (when in reality she was), the reality was that Harri was both shocked and frightened at the same time. No one noticed, but she could feel herself start to shake a little bit and her heartbeat racing at the thought of being outed because she made it so obvious that she had a crush on one of the most popular girls in the Ravenclaw House.

"Wh-What…What are y-you talking a-about?" Harri said, feeling herself stutter. "I was not staring at anybody! And besides that, she is not just some Chinese girl. She has a name, you know…"

"Alright, alright!" Esperanza said, putting her hands up as if she was surrendering. " _¡Cálmete!_ ( **1** ) I didn't mean any harm by it or mean to scare you, I was only trying to help you…"

"Why do you want to help me?" Harri asked her, immediately becoming suspicious.

"Because I was once in the same exact position as you when I was your age…"

"What do you mean by that?"

Esperanza then gave her exasperated look. " _Ai, Dios mío_ , must I say it outloud for you to understand what I mean?" she asked her.

It took a moment for Harri to realize what she meant. Once she did, her eyes went wide.

"You mean that you are a…?"

"A dyke? Yes, I am," Esperanza responded. "And I am very open about it too."

Harri gaped at her, staring at this beautiful woman. This beautiful _and brave_ woman who dared be so open about her sexuality in an environment where she wouldn't be accepted. Harri suddenly saw this woman in a new different light, and she could feel herself becoming a little calmer now knowing that this woman did not mean any harm and had no intention of outing her, from what it seemed like.

"How?"

"You mean how I can be so open in an environment that is hostile to people like us?" Esperanza asked her. When Harri nodded at her question, she continued, "Well, I can tell you it was not easy, it was _muy difícil_ ( **1** )! I once too cared about what other people would think of me if they found out that I was a dyke, but the more I got scared, the more I became ashamed of who I was and I got to a point where I got tired of that. It took a lot of courage, but I finally came out and I found myself becoming less worried about what people thought of me the more open I was about it."

"Does anyone in your school know about your sexuality, even your Headmistress?" Harri asked.

"Mostly everyone knows of my sexuality, even the Headmistress, but the Headmistress has this 'don't ask, don't tell' policy," Esperanza replied. "It is a little bit like how those Muggle Americans have that same policy within their military, if you have heard about it."

"I have heard about it, actually, but only very briefly in the Muggle news," Harri said. "I have relatives that I live with who are Muggles, and I will sometimes hear them watching the news."

"Are most people accepting of who you are?" she then asked.

It was here that Esperanza then paused at her question as if deep in thought before finally answering.

"I would say that a good decent amount of people are accepting of it, at least the ones that matter," she said. "There are those who are more accepting of it and there are those who are not so accepting of it or can't understand it, like _mi tío y mis abuelos_ on _mi padre_ 's side."

"I'm sorry, what?" Harri said, not understanding the words that Esperanza was saying in Spanish.

It was here that Esperanza laughed.

" _¡Lo siento!_ I'm sorry, I forget that you English people don't know Spanish," she said. "I have a habit of switching from English to Spanish, so forgive me if I do this often. _Mi_ stands for the possessiveness of me, so _mi tío_ basically translates to "my uncle". I was basically talking about how both my uncle and my grandparents on my father's, _mi padre_ , side aren't very accepting of my sexual orientation. They are a little more old fashioned. _Mi madre_ , my mother, though, is a little more accepting of it. It took her some time to understand it, but I think she gets the gist of who I am as a person and tries her best to understand it, although she still struggles at times."

"What about your father?" Harri asked.

"Oh, he died on a diplomatic mission in Britain during the Great Wizarding War," Esperanza responded almost nonchalantly. "He was killed by one of You-Know-Who's followers."

"I'm sorry to hear that…"

"It's fine. Besides, losing one parent during the Great Wizarding War is one thing, but losing _both_ parents is a whole different story. I can't imagine what it is like to lose both of mine, I have no doubt that my coming out would be even more difficult if I was to grow up with _mi tío y abuelos_."

"Well, believe me when I say, it probably would have definitely made your coming out more difficult," Harri said. Esperanza gave her a look as if she was wondering what she meant by that, and Harri decided to explain when she saw this. "My Muggle relatives are not the most nicest people on the planet, they don't like anything that has to do with magic or that they consider unnatural, so they don't speak very well of…people like us…"

Esperanza nodded in understanding. "I can definitely understand that, to an extent," she said.

There was a bit of an awkward silence between the two of them until Esperanza broke the silence again.

"I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I do know what you are going through because I have been where you are," she began. "I know what it is like to worry about wondering what people would think of you if they found out that you are a dyke because I have had those same thoughts, and those thoughts just caused me a lot of anxiety. Once I did come out, though, I found this immense relief because I felt like I didn't have to hide anymore. I did lose some friendships along the way, and it did hurt me, I am not going to lie about that, but I learned overtime that those who only have hatred and bigotry in their hearts are not worthy of my friendship or love."

"It's not that simple," Harri said with a hint of bitterness. "If I come out, people will look at me, the hero of the wizarding world, differently. I may not be able to walk around the halls safely without being harassed for being who I am or even hold a girl's hand or kiss them without someone staring. I already get enough attention on the fact that I am the Girl-Who-Lived and now a Triwizard Champion, I don't need any more attention on me on the fact of my sexual orientation as well."

" _¡Caray!_ ( **1** ) You are a lot more than what I expected," Esperanza said. "I guess that having all that fame on being the Girl-Who-Lived isn't really all that, no?"

Harri shook her head at this.

"I didn't mean any disrespect," Esperanza said, continuing to try and encourage Harri. "Obviously, your situation is very unique and a bit more difficult than mine. I certainly was popular and I definitely lost it when I came out, but I never had any fame like you do, so I apologize if it seemed like I was trying to push you to come out…"

"No, you didn't, you are fine," Harri said. Although, truth be told, she did feel a little pressured, she just felt as if it would be rude to say so.

"You don't have to lie to me just to be polite," Esperanza replied when she saw through her lie. "You can be honest with me."

Harri was a little surprised by this response, but at the same time, she felt grateful that she was basically told that she didn't have to be polite just to hide her true feelings.

"Well, I guess I did feel a little bit of pressure…" she said. "It's just…I don't think I am ready to come out to the whole world just yet, I need to come out when I feel like I am ready."

"I know, and I understand that," Esperanza said. "If you ever decide to come out sooner rather than later, don't hesitate to ask me for help."

Harri just smiled at this, glad that a complete stranger who is just like her offered her support. It was definitely nice to feel that sense of support; plus, she was very beautiful too.

Esperanza then got up from her seat.

"I actually have to get going, but it was very nice talking to, Hariana Potter," she said. "If you need help with anything at all, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks, and it was nice talking to you as well, Esperanza," Harri said. She almost felt a tingle up her spine as she said her name, but she ignored it.

" _Tú tienes un día bonito!_ You have a beautiful day!"

She then walked away, leaving Harri alone with her thoughts. After talking with Esperanza, Harri felt a giddiness in her that she couldn't quite explain, and her friends were looking at her strangely, wondering what got her in such a good mood. Hermione thought it had something to do with getting a date for the Yule Ball, but really, it had nothing to do with that and Harri was still dateless at the moment. Talking to Esperanza made Harri feel as if she wasn't truly alone in her thoughts and feelings, and Esperanza even offered her hand to help her. For someone who knows and understands what she is going through to offer a hand to help her out made Harri feel as if she could be a little less afraid of being out in the open the way Esperanza was.

' _Maybe one day I'll come out, but only when I am ready_ ,' Harri thought, unaware that she was going to be outted after the Yule Ball.

* * *

 **A/N:** So there is chapter three. Once again, I welcome constructive criticism, but not flames.

( **1** ) Translations:

Perdón-Excuse me or pardon me

mocoso rubio-According to the Google translation, it means blonde brat.

Note: most of my translation comes from Google Translation and that thing isn't always accurate, so any Spanish speakers who wish to correct me on my Spanish grammar or translation, go right ahead. I am giving you permission for it.

 _Ai, Dios mío-_ Oh my God

 _¡Cálmete!_ -Calm down!

muy difícil-very difficult

¡Caray!-Wow! or Blimey!

( **2** ) According to the Harry Potter Wikia, Beauxbaton school accepts people from these different countries. I decided for Harri's new friend to be from Spain because I am a little more drawn toward the Spanish culture

( **3** ) The term 'dyke' was once used as a derogatory term for people in the UK who identify as a lesbian, but the lesbian community has turned that term around and used it as a way of showing pride

 **Upcoming chapter** : Harri goes out shopping for a dress for the Yule Ball with Hermione and finds out who Hermione is going to the Yule Ball with. Harri tries to go to the Yule Ball with a female friend, but is told by her Professors she is forbidden from doing so and ends up getting a date to the Yule Ball with a fellow male Housemate instead


End file.
